Golf practice device



p 1961 w. E. JOHNSON, JR 3,001,795

' GOLFPRACTICE DEVICE Filed June 4, 1959 IN VEN TOR. Warren E, Johnson, J/:

flTTORNEX S United States Patent 3,001,795 GOLF PRACTICE DEVICE Warren E. Johnson, Jr., 1913 th St., Bay City, Mich. Filed June 4, 1959, Ser. No. 818,155 1 Claim. (Cl. 273-181) This invention pertains to a golf practice device and more particularly to a device adapted for use by a golfer practicing shots and which is adapted to be located in the path of a golf ball so as to intercept the latter and prevent its traveling a great distance.

Basically, the invention comprises a net structure which is adapted to be placed ahead of a golfer so that when a golf ball is struck it will be caught by the net before it has an opportunity to travel any great distance. Net devices of the general class to which the invention relates have been proposed heretofore, but have not been altogether satisfactory for a number of reasons. One reason known devices have not been particularly well received is that they require rather complex supporting frames for the nets, thereby requiring a substantial amount of time to erect and dismantle. Probably the most common complaint voiced against previously proposed golf nets, however, is the relatively short life of the net itself. It is believed that the reason for the short life of the net is that the nets of known devices have been stretched tautly between their supporting members with the result that only the net strands engaged by the ball are utilized to decelerate the ball. In other words, the entire force of the moving ball is expended against relatively few strands of the net.

A golfer making use of nets of the kind available heretofore normally places his ball in such position relative to the net that a well hit ball will strike the net at about its center. The reason for locating the ball in this manner, of course, is to provide a factor of safety in the event the ball is not well hit and travels either to the left or to the right of center. Since such nets usually are only a few feet in advance of the ball, however, the great majority of practice shots propel the ball to the center section of the net, thereby causing the net strands in the central region of the net to be subjected to considerably more stress than are the other net strands. As a consequence, it is not unusual for strands at the center of the net soon to become weakened to the point that they break. Once the net has become broken, it is useless for its intended purpose until it has been repaired. Even though one or two broken strands may be repaired fairly easily, other strands which have not yet been broken may have become so weakened that only a few practice shots will be sufficient to break additional strands. Thus, once the net begins to wear, the golfer knows its future life is quite limited.

A principal object of this invention is to provide a golf practice device including a net which is so constructed as to be capable of arresting the flight of a golf ball and distributing the force of the ball over a great area.

Another object of the invention is to provide a practice golf device which easily and quickly may be assembled and disassembled.

A further object of the invention is to provide a practice golf device which is self-supporting.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a practice golf device composed of component parts which are capable of being dismantled for compact storage.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be pointed out in detail or will become apparent from the appended claim and the following specification when it is considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is an isometric view of a practice device formed according to one embodiment of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a View similar to FIGURE 1, but dis closing the apparatus in the act of arresting a golf ball in flight; and

FIGURE 3 is a view similar to FIGURE 1, but on a reduced scale, and disclosing a modified form of the invention.

Apparatus formed in accordance with the embodiment of the invention disclosed in 'FIGURES 2 and 3 comprises a supporting frame 1 including a pair of spaced apart, parallel, generally upright side frame members 2 and 3 connected at their lower ends to a ground engaging supporting frame 4. The supporting frame 4 preferably is composed of a pair of forwardly extending frame bars 5 having their rearward ends formed as sockets 7 adapted to telescope with the lower ends of the frame members 2 and 3 so as to be removably connected to the latter. The other ends of the frame bars 5 preferably are removably telescoped within socket elements 8 and 9 formed at corresponding ends of transverse frame members '10 and 11, respectively, the adjacent ends of the frame members 10' and 11 also being telescopingly joined as at 12. The construction and arrangement of theelements forming the frame 1 are such that the frame may be assembled and disassembled quickly and easily and, when disassembled, stored in a minimum space. When the frame elements are assembled, however, the frame bars 2 and 3 will be supported in their upright positions without the necessity of having any of the frame elements driven into the ground, excepting that in the embodiment shown in 'FIG. 1, the supporting frame 4 is eliminated and guy wires W are provided to maintain the elements 2. and 3* in their upright positions.

Forming a part of the practice device is a net 13 having strands formed of either natural or synthetic fibers and woven in a conventional manner so as to provide a mesh of such closeness as to prevent a golf balls passing through the interstices. The width of the net 13 corresponds substantially to the spacing between the frame members 2 and 3.

Adjacent to the upper edge 14 of the net, and at the sides 15 and 16 thereof, are provided spring or other conventional clamp elements 17 adapted removably to secure the end 14 of the net to the upper ends of the frame bars 2 and 3. At intervals along the length of the net, each of the sides 15 and 16 of the latter is provided with a plurality of loops or rings 18 having openings therein larger than the diameter of the members 2 and 3 so that the rings 18 are free to slide alongthe flame members.

The length of the net 13 is substantially greater than the length of the upright members 2 and 3. As a consequence, when the net is assembled with the frame, but is not in use, the extra length of the net will lie adjacent to the ground in a fold F, which forms a pocket for the ball.

It has been stated that the frame members 2 and 3 are generally upright. This does not mean, however, that the members 2 and 3 are vertical. Preferably, the members 2 and 3 are inclined to the vertical in a direction towards a vertical plane passing through the frame members 10 and 1 1. The inclination of the members may vary, but the angle made between them and the frame bars 10 and 11 should not be less than about 60. The purpose of this construction will be pointed out in connection with the description of the operation of the apparatus.

The embodiment of the invention disclosed in FIGURE 3 is generally similar to the previously described embodiment, the only difference between the two constructions 3 being that the embodiment shown in FIGURE 3 includes upright frame members 2a and 3a which are bowed so as to present a concave configuration when viewed from the position of the practicing golfer. The-construction and-arrangement of the members 2a and 3a are such that their upper ends may be located substantially vertically when the apparatus is conditioned for use, which means, of course, that all other portions of the members 2a and 3a will be somewhat inclined to the vertical.

When the apparatus is conditioned for use, it will be located forwardly of a practicing golfer with the net positioned in such manneras to intercept and arrest the flight of a golf ball B. The location of the apparatus should be only a few feet forwardly of the golfer so that the ball will engage the net while the ball is still rising. Since the ball will be rising when it engages the net, the

force exerted on the net by the ball will have home forward component and a vertical component. The vertical component of force will be expended by the lower portion of the nets rising, as permitted by the slide rings 4 tended to be illustrative rather than definitive thereof. The invention is defined in the claim.

I claim:

A practice device for use when practicing games employing a ball adapted to be propelled along a flight path, said device comprising a pair of spaced, generally upright members extending a substantial distance above ground level and inclined upwardly in the direction of flight; means supporting said members in generally up right position; a flexible net interposed between said members so as to lie in the flight path of said ball; means fixedly connecting one end of said net adjacent the upper ends of said members; means slideably connecting the other end of said net to said members, said net having a length greater than the length of said members so that the excess length of said net normally forms a -fold' at the lower ends of said .members; and means slideably connecting saidnet along its side edges to said upright members to permit the other end of said net to slide along said members towards and away from said one end when said net is struck by said ball.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 920,907 Bolton May 11, 1909 2,628,097 Lecznar Feb. 10, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 389,131 Great Britain Mar. 10, 1933 

